Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To Series

Updated December 17, 2024

Ernest Hemingway once said, “Don’t bother with churches, government buildings or city squares, if you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars.”

While I have little basis for comparison (I have yet to try to learn about a city by visiting its various DMVs) Hemingway’s advice has always rung true for me. For years I’ve asked bartenders where to eat and drink in a city to get a better sense of it, and I’ve yet to be lead astray. Whether it’s thanks to their constant interaction with patrons, camaraderie with their fellow bartenders, knowledge of hospitality and flavor, their sensitivity to BS, or their lack of time to waste on subpar evenings, bartenders are uniquely suited to help the unenlightened go beyond splashy spots designed for algorithm fodder and into the meat of what makes a city special.

Speaking of algorithm fodder. I wanted to find a way to share my great experiences being lead by bartenders’ wisdom with other would-be boozy tourists, so I created a bartender-led bar crawl series on Instagram and TikTok: Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To.

So far I’ve traveled to nine cities internationally in the series and have visited 57 bars in the process. At each stop, I ask a bartender the following 3 questions:

• What’s your name?
• Where is your favorite place to drink in this city?
• And what do you like to drink there?

I then go wherever the bartender recommends and order their favorite drink, and so on and so on until we get a full portrait of the of the town’s character and charm (or until my liver offers up its safe word, whichever happens first).

Currently, the series has amassed over 10 million views, and I can’t wait to keep exploring and sharing new cities. Below are the videos of all the spots we’ve visited thus far— check back in for new destinations.

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: Chicago

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: Palm Springs

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: Las Vegas

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: Portland

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: The San Francisco Bay Area

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: Maui

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: Dublin

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: Seattle

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: Aspen

Drinking Wherever Bartenders Tell Me To: Los Angeles

Thank you to all of the bars and bartenders who’ve helped us discover the best in your towns.

---

Next, check out Hannah’s series Great Drinkers Throughout History: Hemingway Edition.

Looking to expand your home bar? Here are some of Hannah’s favorite pieces of bar equipment.

Get SpiritedLA merch here.

Hannah earns a small commission if you purchase her recommended products through these links, at no additional cost to you. So, thank you!